As I watch the horror of war in Ukraine I am reminded of Larry and his forebears. Seeing a revolution coming, they gathered their families and escaped to a new life in America. Will those fleeing today be given that opportunity in the countries they end up in. They need a welcome, writes Fr Bobby Gilmore.
The history of salvation has known unpredictable and mysterious integrations of peoples, cultures and races. (Cardinal Carlo M. Martini)
The man sitting in the next table at the Olympia Grill in Galveston, Texas, on hearing my accent asked where I came from. I told him that I was holidaying from Ireland. He introduced himself as Larry Kritikos, the owner of the restaurant. During our conversation and observations about various issues he related the history of his family in America and where they originated. It is an enthralling story laced with unpredictability, historical turmoil and its consequences.
In 1905, his grandfather and granduncle, Greek refugees, were resident on the Greek island of Patmos. They earned a living as fishermen. One day while in their small fishing boat offshore they noticed a small ship making its way into Patmos harbour. The ship was edging close to where they were and with their knowledge of the shore and of the harbour, they could see it was off course. They waved at it to stop but to their consternation it sailed slowly on eventually running aground on the rocks nearby. They hurried over to offer help.
The ship’s captain asked to standby which they did. After some time, a rope ladder came over the side. The captain requested the two fishermen to take a woman and her three children ashore. Having climbed down the ladder they received the woman, three children and a deck hand from the ship. Without further ado they rowed the short distance to the safety of the shore where they deposited their passengers and were profusely thanked by mother of the children.
Getting back into their boat they returned to their nets and went about life as usual. They had no inkling as to the origins of the ship, its owners, passengers or their purpose in coming to Patmos. About three months after the incident Larry’s grandfather received a formal letter in the post. It was seldom in those days that a letter arrived at the houses of ordinary people. His grandfather was so surprised that anybody knew his name or address.
The letter frightened him, his brother and the family. For days they kept it secret unopened. After long discussions, hesitantly, they took it the local priest. On looking at the envelope, the stamp and seal the priest discerned that this was a very formal letter. It had a Russian postmark and the seal was an official government wax seal.
He carefully opened the letter written in Russian. It was from the palace of the Czar in Moscow. It started out by thanking the two men for rescuing his wife the Czarina and her three children from the sea as they made their pilgrimage to the shrine of St John the Evangelist. It was there that he wrote the Apocalypse. It is a centre of pilgrimage for all Christians especially for those of the Orthodox Church.
Odessa. Image: Shutterstock
Apart from thanking them the letter contained a formal invitation for both men to go to the Royal Palace in Moscow all expenses paid. This whole episode was getting too much for them. The island officials persuaded them to go and that it was an honour to have received such a formal invitation. They decided to go.
Arriving in Moscow they were formally received by the Czar and the Czarina in the palace. They were overwhelmed. That was not the end of the story.
The Czar, in recognition of their rescue of his wife and children, appointed them as administrators of the port of Odessa. The outcome of this appointment gave them access to both wealth and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Both families were held in high esteem by the population of Odessa. It gave them access to the highest power in the land. That was until 1915.
The Russian Revolution gradually reached the Port of Odessa. Larry’s grandfather, granduncle and their families had little option other than to take flight. They arrived in America and settled in Texas. Both grandfather and granduncle were immediately drafted into the United States army and served under General Pershing on the Western front. After the war they both returned unharmed. They went into business in Texas. Their offspring, Larry’s father, went into the restaurant business. Larry inherited the business and successfully extended it to become a flagship restaurant in Galveston which has won many awards both local and national.
As I watch the horror of war in Ukraine, I am reminded of Larry and his forebears. Seeing a revolution coming, they gathered their families and escaped to a new life in America. Will those fleeing today be given that opportunity in the countries they end up in. They need a welcome.
The gravitational pull of imperial history that is just as illustrious as it is imposing will continue to define Russia’s character and it conduct, both at home and abroad, (Samir Puri. The Great Imperial Hangover)